We were the greatest
by CS091
Summary: Missing scene from the end of Cold Lazarus. One Shot.


Disclaimer : The Usual  
  
Spoilers : Series 1 Cold Lazarus - missing scene.  
  
@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
WE WERE THE GREATEST.  
  
@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
The 'gate shook slightly and the outer ring began to rotate.  
  
"Incoming traveler."  
  
As the wormhole became established the GDO code was received.  
  
"SG1, Sir."  
  
"Open the iris, it'll be Colonel O'Neill."   
  
And it was. Jack walked slowly down the ramp. "Hi, Kids. I'm home." His voice held none of the joviality that he usually displayed. Nevertheless General Hammond was relieved that Jack was home. Something, somewhere deep inside General Hammond would not have been surprised if he had never seen or heard from O'Neill again. Hammond's 2IC was a deeply private man and he had demons enough to send anyone else over the edge a dozen times.  
  
"My office, Colonel."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
In the private of his office, Hammond watched O'Neill. He looked exhausted, mentally and physically.  
  
"Take some time off, Jack. As much as you need. I've debriefed the others. We can talk when you're ready."  
  
"I need to talk to Sara."  
  
"That's true."  
  
"Permission to disclose some classified information?" Jack asked with little hope.  
  
"Sorry, Jack. Need to know."  
  
"And she doesn't?" Jack was sad, not angry.  
  
"Not in the military way."  
  
"I knew you'd say that, but I had to ask."  
  
"And I had to refuse. I'm sorry."  
  
"I know. Not your fault."  
  
"Be easy on yourself, Jack. None of this is your fault either."  
  
"Easier said than believed. I gotta go. Permission to ..."  
  
"Go, Jack."   
  
It was nearly midnight when Jack pulled his truck up outside Sara's house, but the lights downstairs were still on, so, summoning up his courage, he walked up the drive and rang the bell.  
  
Sara was still dressed in the cotton frock she was wearing at the hospital. Jack thought she must be cold now that it was dark, the temperature had dropped considerably.  
  
"I said I'd come and explain, but I can't ..."  
  
"They won't let you. I know. At least you came. Come on in. It's cold out here." She led him to the living room, where a log fire was burning merrily. "You hungry?"  
  
"Yeah, I am actually. I didn't realize until you said."  
  
"There's some casserole in the oven. I thought you might need some, so I made extra. Stay by the fire. You look cold." It only took seconds for Sara to come back from the kitchen with a plate of casserole on a tray.  
  
"Just like old times."  
  
"Yeah, me coming back from who knows where, hungry enough to eat a horse and you sitting there knowing I can't tell you a damn thing."   
  
"I knew what to expect. You were 18 when you joined the air force and 28 when you married me. It didn't really bother me that there were some things you couldn't tell me."  
  
"It was that I didn't tell you anything." It wasn't a question.  
  
"At least you know it now."  
  
"I think I always did. It was just that I couldn't seem to do anything about it then."  
  
"And now?"  
  
"Things have changed over the last year or so. I mean, I've changed. I've been made to look at things in a different way."  
  
"By a woman?"  
  
"No," Jack laughed quietly, "Just people." Daniel, Skaara, Sha're, Teal'c and, of course, Carter. "But things are a little better now. How are you coping? Your Dad told me to ... he told me you weren't over me."  
  
"No, I'm not, not completely. But time heals a lot. And I'm trying." Sara paused, unsure of how much to say. "And I've started seeing someone." Jack's head shot up. "It's not serious ... yet."  
  
"Wow, that's ..."  
  
"Quick?"  
  
"No, no, I was gonna say healthy. I don't think I'm that ... healthy yet. I've still got to work some things out. Is he nice?"  
  
"No, Jack, he's an axe murderer." They both laughed. "Yeah, Andrew is really nice. He's just what I need right now."  
  
"No complicated past and on call 24/7?"  
  
"Something like that. He makes me feel safe and wanted. And he shares, Jack."  
  
"Not my strong suit."  
  
"It's been trained out of you."  
  
"Don't shift the blame. Not all air force personnel are like that."  
  
"The divorce rates say more than the average are like that."  
  
"That didn't stop us."  
  
"No. It should have. You need someone who knows what it's like on the inside. What about that Captain who was with you earlier?"  
  
"God, you don't miss a thing! No, she's way out of my league. Way too smart."  
  
"Meaning I'm thick?"   
  
"Shit, no, that's not what I meant! Open my mouth and put both feet in!" Jack stared hard at Sara, then realized she was laughing at him.  
  
"I wasn't smart enough to say 'no' to you though."  
  
"Would have save you a lot of heartache."  
  
"Yeah. I don't regret it though, except for losing Charlie. Jack?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"That ... earlier ... it wasn't ..?"  
  
"No, Sara, it wasn't Charlie. Charlie's dead. But, that ... It showed me that Charlie will always be in my heart. I don't have to pretend or hide or anything. It doesn't hurt so much to remember now. It was kinda nice to be able to say goodbye ... even if it wasn't really Charlie."  
  
"Has it gone?"  
  
"Yeah, it's gone."  
  
"What about us?"  
  
"We WERE the greatest."  
  
"But we're gone too, aren't we, Jack?"  
  
"Yeah. And I do regret that."  
  
"No way back?"  
  
"No, Sara. What's done is done. You deserve better than you got with me. If Andrew makes you happy and makes you feel safe and wanted, then go for it."  
  
"And if he doesn't?"  
  
"Call for me and I'll beat him up, of course!" Jack laughed and Sara joined in.  
  
The casserole was finished. Jack had done what he came to do, partly. He had made his peace with Sara and he didn't want to spoil her chance for new happiness. There could be no going back. Charlie was dead.  
  
"I think it's time I went." They walked to the door.  
  
"See you, Jack." She'd always said that when he went away.  
  
"Goodbye, Sara. Take care."  
  
@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
Yeah, it's sappy, but I never did like the place Cold Lazarus ended.  
Press the 'Go' button. Send in a review, please. 


End file.
